Quality Service Marketing

You're in Trouble If Your Employees Can't Answer These Questions

• What is your organization’s mission (purpose) and where is it headed (strategy and goals)?
• What is expected of employees in helping the company achieve its goals?
• Who are your customers and why do they choose to do business with you? Also, how do employee efforts impact customer satisfaction?
• What is your brand promise and what’s involved in delivering on it?
• How do employees know they are valued by the company?

Seriously, you can’t expect to engage employees if they don’t know why their work matters and what it entails. Be prepared to provide them with clear answers upfront (when they join the company), and then frequently remind them because the responses are likely to change based on what’s happening in the competitive marketplace.

Don’t make them guess the answers. It’s really no fun for your employees, customers, and stakeholders.

Be Thankful If You Don't See These Less-Than-Inspiring Posters at Work

The source of the following irreverent, satirical sayings comes from Despair, Inc:

• “Just because you’re necessary doesn’t mean you’re important.”
• “Sometimes the best solution to morale problems is just to fire all of the unhappy people.”
• “The best leaders inspire by example. When that's not an option, brute intimidation works pretty well, too.”
• “The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.”
• “It's lonely at the top, but it's comforting to look down upon everyone at the bottom.”
• “Your role may be thankless, but if you're willing to give it your all, you just might bring success to those who outlast you.”

Despair, Inc. wouldn't be successful if its tongue-in-cheek demotivational posters didn't resonate with people. The company's satire is an effective way to deal with shallow engagement efforts.

So if you see any of these posters in an office, I hope it’s based on the manager's sense of humor. C’mon, would you want to work in a company where these quotes reflect its true culture? 

Employee Turnover Revisited

The economy has changed significantly since the 2008 publication of Leigh Branham's book, The Seven Hidden Reasons Employees Leave. Enough so that Branham wrote a second edition of his book based on new data collected from employee exit surveys.

Branham states upfront that the reasons given by employees for leaving their jobs are “fundamentally the same.” What has changed are the implications from the data. For example:

• Employees are “five times more likely to leave a job because of an internal issue than in response to an outside opportunity …”
• Since employees don’t just leave for better opportunities (although that’s what they’ll tell the company because it’s easier), most employee turnover is avoidable and potentially preventable.
• Employees may leave their immediate managers, but they also cite lack of trust in senior leaders as a key reason for disengaging.

Dissatisfaction with pay is cause for some turnover, but more as an emotional issue related to salary fairness than with the actual amount of the salary itself. Branham explains that employees "are bothered by inequity – knowing that they make less than others who are no more qualified, or even less qualified than they are. They feel the injustice of getting the same pay raises as those who have contributed far less to the organization than they have ... It all adds up to feeling  ‘less than.’”

If you care about employee retention

This book will help you better understand why employees leave and what you can do about it. Branham shows how to recognize the warning signs that employees are getting ready to exit and shares examples of what employer-of-choice organizations do to minimize turnover. Given employees share responsibility for their own engagement, he also offers suggestions employees can consider before they leave as a last resort.

The Seven Hidden Reasons Employees Leave provides research-based evidence that:

“Most of the reasons employees disengage and leave are consistent, predictable, and avoidable, if the employers have the desire to retain and are willing to invest the time to take preventive or corrective actions.” – Leigh Branham

I strongly recommend Branham's updated book for managers and business owners who need to address employee retention for a better bottom line.

What They're Saying About "Share of Mind, Share of Heart"

I’m thrilled with the positive response to my new book, Share of Mind, Share of Heart: Marketing Tools of Engagement for Nonprofits. Here are several recent reviews that I’m honored to share.

"With a great passion for (and deep expertise in) nonprofit marketing, Sybil Stershic has written an immensely practical, valuable book. “Share of Mind, Share of Heart” clearly explicates both marketing fundamentals and more sophisticated concepts for nonprofit marketing professionals in plain, easy-to-understand language, with concrete examples.

"Unlike many academic texts on nonprofit marketing, this book is peppered with questions designed to get you thinking tangibly and immediately about how the concepts discussed can be applied directly to the day-to-day business of your organization. I found her insights into internal marketing tools of engagement to be particularly apt and important. Too often in leanly staffed, undercapitalized nonprofits where staff is pressed for time, we overlook this crucial area. Morale and profits suffer as a result, with organizations sometimes seeming disconnected and disengaged from their customers, volunteers, and (in some cases) overall mission.

"'Share of Mind, Share of Heart' is a book that should be on the shelf of every nonprofit marketer, both novices and veterans." - Andrew Edmonson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Houston Ballet

"Like the author, I have served on a variety of non-profit boards and counseled them about marketing. I've found that the whole idea of marketing is intimidating to many non-profits. They often believe marketing is too complicated for them and requires a commitment of resources (both human and monetary) beyond their capability. This insightful book dispels these fears as myths. Marketing is presented here as it truly ought to be: a simple, people-based idea about creating and communicating value. Each chapter provides an understandable exercise that will cause the reader to pause and reflect upon how to bring the marketing concept to life in any non-profit."     - Frank Haas, Dean of Hospitality, Business and Legal Education, Kapiolani Community College

"Every now and then, you find a book that contains more than a powerful message---it houses a poignant experience. Share of Mind, Share of Heart is an experiential wisdom-sharing tome written for organizations that benefit us all. Full of practical how to's and laced in the language and philosophy of non-profits, it will open eyes, enhance skills, and enrich outreach." - Chip R. Bell, noted author and consultant, The Chip Bell Group

I’m also honored to share these more detailed book reviews by Ivana Taylor, Small Business Trends, and Wayne Hurlbert, Blog Business World.

Special thanks to Andrew, Frank, Chip, Ivana, and Wayne for taking the time to review and share their thoughts on my book!

Confessions of a Reluctant Business Author

“Are you kidding me?! Don’t even go there,” I tell my husband and son when they ask about my next book. With the recent release of Share of Mind, Share of Heart: Marketing Tools of Engagement for Nonprofits and the 5th anniversary of Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care, they keep asking me, “So when are you going to write book number three?” 

The truth is writing isn’t easy for me as as I am plagued by perfectionism and paralyzed by the blank page. That’s why I consider my first book a major personal and professional accomplishment - nearly eight years in the making from conception to publication. I’m also thrilled with my second book - it only took two years.

How did I shorten the learning curve between my two books? Thinking back on my experience, I realize that I benefited from:

• More confidence as an author based on: 1) my first book’s success, and 2) my familiarity with nonfiction book writing and publishing. I knew what to expect with my second book, including understanding that marketing a new book can be as intensive as writing it.
• More consistent writing experience as a business blogger (since 2005) with some ideas and content that I could build upon, instead of starting totally from scratch.
• The prodding, encouragement and constructive feedback of three fellow writers who support each other in a Book Critique Group. We pushed ourselves to write and share content on a monthly basis. Then we’d meet to discuss our “review comments” and talk about our writing progress and setbacks.

In maintaining this blog, I still struggle with writer’s block brought on by fear of the blank page. I have to remind myself to just get something (anything!) written down. To overcome the perfectionism that impedes my writing, I find it helpful to remember that what I’m working on is GEMO (“good enough, move on”). Then I give it a rest by taking a break so I can go back to it later for fresh editing. The process is sometimes laborious, but it works for me.

That’s why I’m extremely proud of my two books. Do I have book #3 in me? I’ll let you know …
Note to family: in the meantime, quit bugging me!

Celebrating a Special Book Anniversary

Five years ago this week marks the official release of my first book, Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care. In honor of this 5th Anniversary, I’m offering a special book discount. (See details at the end of this post.)

My book and this blog are based on the fact that customer relations “mirror” employee relations: the way employees feel is the way customers will feel, and if employees don't feel valued, neither will customers. The topic is as timely as ever as managers seek help for engaging their employees and customers in a challenging economy.

My deepest thanks to all who have read my book, including those whose companies continue to purchase and share the book with their clients and enterprise partners. I’m especially gratified when I hear how people apply the content to strengthen employee and customer engagement. An HR director recently told me how her company used my book: copies were given to management team members who completed the book’s worksheets and internal marketing action plans. The results were compiled by HR and shared with the executive team to develop an overall internal marketing plan. The company also created a cross-functional team – the “Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most Committee” – to continually improve employee-customer care.

Since my book was published, I keep finding great examples of what works in fostering a positive workplace culture. To learn more, check out some of the organizations I’ve featured in this blog:

• Mustang Engineering
• SNVC
• Zappos 
• Mohonk Mountain House
• Just Born
• Jewish Family & Career Services

I’ll continue to share best practices and new ideas here in my blog, along with the “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of employee and customer engagement. As always, I welcome your ideas on this important topic.

Special Offer

Save 20% on the purchase of one or more copies of Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care from now through Nov. 30, 2012 when you order online from WME Books. Be sure to enter special discount code 103FOS (case sensitive, no spaces) in the coupon code box. The book also makes a great gift!

Why We Still Need to Get Together for Work

I consider technology both a blessing and a curse in the workplace. While it enables employees to communicate and collaborate across time and distance, it also makes work more insular as people seem to engage more with smart devices than with co-workers, customers, and channel partners.

So as workplace technology continues to expand, I’ll continue to advocate the power of employee gatherings.  Bringing people together in an effective face-to-face forum can provide a rich and satisfying experience. This was the case for a large company that brought together marketing and sales support staff from its regional offices as part of an “all hands” planning event. The company is in transition as a result of restructuring, and its divisional leader recognized the need to bring staff members together. The event combined training, planning, and team-building activities in an informative and comfortable setting.

Employees appreciated the opportunity to step back from the daily grind and focus on:

• better understanding where they fit within the “big picture” of the company
• expanding their internal resources through networking and relationship-building with co-workers
• enhancing organizational capacity through shared learning and planning.

The event also provided employees an effective forum in which they could get answers to their questions, contribute their ideas and be heard.

Regardless of whether your team’s goal is learning, planning or problem-solving, sometimes there is no substitute for getting off the cloud and bringing people together, face-to-face.

“One of the single most effective ways to enhance your creativity is to regularly break the cycle of isolation and interact, talk, and share your work.”
- David Burkus, Why Sharing Your Work, Setbacks & Struggles Breaks Creative Blocks.

What is Volunteer Engagement?

Ask most people to explain volunteer engagement and they’ll tell you they know it when they see it, yet find it difficult to articulate. They can describe it in general terms as a process that includes recruiting and matching volunteer interests with a nonprofit’s needs, then recognizing and respecting those volunteers.

Beyond the generalities, it’s easier for people to describe what volunteer engagement is not. For example, volunteer engagement means:

• not taking advantage of volunteers’ time and talent.
• not keeping volunteers out of the communication loop regarding what’s happening (e.g., major changes in operations or direction).
• not ignoring volunteers’ input and ideas.
• not creating extra work just to keep volunteers busy.
• not giving lip-service to volunteer value.

One can turn these negative descriptors into positive ones to get closer to explaining volunteer engagement, but it’s not enough. Fortunately, there’s a more comprehensive definition.

Volunteer engagement is …

According to Jill Friedman Fixler of the JFFixler Group, volunteer engagement is “a strategy that builds organizational capacity through staff and volunteer collaboration and the development of high-impact, meaningful opportunities that create greater influence and outcome for the organization.”

What I like about Fixler’s definition is that it recognizes:

• as a “strategy,” volunteer engagement is intentional
• its purpose is to help advance a nonprofit’s mission by building “organizational capacity”
• it is based on mutual endeavor via “staff and volunteer collaboration”
• it benefits the nonprofit by creating “greater influence and outcome.”

A great way to articulate what volunteer engagement is and does.

The Assimilation Approach to Employee Onboarding

Not all organizations offer a formal orientation or onboarding program for new employees. Even so, they shouldn't leave the process to chance.

Corporate without class by David Zinger

                                                                "The new guy
                                                                down the hall
                                                                needs to learn
                                                                how we do
                                                                things around here.
                                                                We'll train him
                                                                without a course
                                                                by rolling eyes,
                                                                banter at lunch, and
                                                                afternoon chocolate bribes.
                                                                He'll fit in,
                                                                won't make waves
                                                                and tread lightly
                                                                around cultural cubicles." 

 
[Source: Assorted Zingers  by David Zinger, with great cartoons by John Junson.]

Can You Achieve 100% Employee Engagement?

One of the best descriptions between employees who are engaged and those who are not comes from BlessingWhite:

" ... engaged employees stay for what they give (they like their work) [whereas] disengaged employees stay for what they get (favorable job conditions, growth opportunities, job security)."

Given the choice, most companies would prefer their workforce be comprised of fully engaged employees. But is total engagement attainable or even realistic? According to employee engagement author and consultant Leigh Branham, not all employees choose to be engaged:

“Most employees want to be engaged [while] other employees simply don’t view being engaged as a desirable, or even possible, personal goal. They see work as a necessary activity, but not as a source of fulfillment. Many have a strong work ethic, but are uninspired by their managers or their daily work environment, so they withhold much of their energy and effort.” 

Just because every employee isn’t interested in being engaged doesn’t mean management should give up on it or work harder to force it on employees. Neither scenario creates a positive work environment.

While 100% employee engagement may not be realistic, smart companies focus on what they can do to maximize engagement in their organizations – including hiring right from the outset, recognizing and reinforcing a positive work culture that values people (employees, customers, business partners, etc. ) as well as profit, and keeping it simple. 

 

 

Image credit: http://terrynwilliams.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/employee_engagement.gif